


and when i'm feeling alone, you remind me of home

by driveinitagain



Category: Dash & Lily, Dash & Lily (TV), Dash and Lily's Book of Dares - Rachel Cohn & David Levithan
Genre: (even though this takes place in march), Christmas, Christmas Fluff, F/M, dash & lily - Freeform, dash and lily, god help us all, i cannot believe i am really the first person writing for this show/book, they're so CUTE and literally what for
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-16
Updated: 2020-11-16
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:26:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27569002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/driveinitagain/pseuds/driveinitagain
Summary: And when the world isn’t fair, I’ll pretend that we’re there.
Relationships: Dash & Boomer, Dash/Lily
Comments: 18
Kudos: 59





	and when i'm feeling alone, you remind me of home

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Okiedokieyom](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Okiedokieyom/gifts).



**LILY**  
Spring has always been my least favorite season, primarily because it’s the furthest away from winter. I feel bad even calling it my least favorite, because I love every season for different reasons, and spring is home to new beginnings and possibilities and growth, but it’s true. It’s a whole nine months from Christmas, which is undeniably the best time of year, especially in New York City. Even Central Park in spring wasn’t enough to change my mind. The trees were gaining leaves, opportunity was around the corner, and the ducks were back at the lake—I did always wonder where exactly they went in winter—but it just wasn’t the same. I missed being able to go caroling with my beloved troupe, I missed the beautiful illuminated sights, I missed how people were openly more kind and accepting...I missed all of it. Whatever red and green, peppermint-y, gingerbread-y, snowy, magical thing you could think of, I missed it. Terribly. But most of all, I missed the surge of confidence I had in my relationship with Dash. We were secure in the cold, you know? That’s where we began and now that the ice was gone, I wasn’t sure if we’d be able to handle the heat and really continue outside of the comfort of our beloved notebook. I knew it was a crazy thought, but I couldn’t stop it from creeping in. I just hoped Dash hadn’t caught on.

 **DASH**  
Finally. The snow was gone, the lights were off, crowds were back to bustling around in normal ways, I could walk down the street without seeing a snowman...I’d never felt more at ease. Winter was behind me and I could finally annoy Boomer at Two Boots without being attacked by seasonal music. Thank god. 

Speaking of Boomer, he was in the middle of a passionate rant that I had tuned out of. Apparently a customer had been a jerk in line, cut someone off or something. I wasn’t entirely sure. My ears tend to ignore anything that seems excessive or unnecessarily stentorian. Nonetheless, I managed to fill in enough blanks and focus back in right as he was finishing up.

“...people are seriously missing the holiday spirit, man!” 

I had to bite back a smile. “Well, that’s because the holidays are over.”

Personally, I could care less. Not about Boomer and his suffering, but about the season for giving. I take celebrating the end of Christmas very seriously. 

But I knew Lily would be taking it hard. She couldn’t take a stroll through Santaland when she was stressed or catch the Q train and see the shining sights at Dyker Heights whenever she was feeling low. There were no more impromptu snowball fights to be had, and Christmas tree farms were out of business for the next nine months. (“It’s so sad! What are those farmers going to do?” “They’ll grow other stuff, Lily. This happens every year.” “Yeah, but Christmas trees are magic! They mean something! You think potatoes are magic, Dash?”)

It was too early in our relationship to reveal how much of a sap I am, but I couldn’t let Lily sulk into spring without a few of her favorite things. I mean, she couldn’t even look at Collation posters anymore. Those had finally disappeared from the city a few weeks ago, along with the snow. Needless to say, I could tell she’d been feeling blue. 

So, in true holiday fashion, I devised a plan.

 **LILY**  
I was petting Boris when my phone vibrated in my pocket. (He was wearing the cutest little bow tie and it was to die for!) Pulling it out, I saw I had a new message from my snarly boyfriend. 

“You don’t need to miss something you thought was gone in a flash, but you should meet me at Mrs. Basil E’s regardless--hurry, please Dash.”

I didn’t have the slightest clue what he meant, but I gave Boris a final pet, grabbed my bag and started walking towards my great-aunt’s apartment with a new spring in my step. I could trust him. Whatever this was, I was grateful for the adventure. 

Bring it on.

 **DASH**  
I couldn’t find it, and I was running out of time. I knew it was floating around my room, but I was in a time-sensitive situation. If I didn’t have this piece, everything else would feel incomplete. 

I was flipping through everything I owned with a frantic pace, and I was starting to feel like a debacle. But then I saw it, peeking out from underneath a pile of recently overturned books. I picked it up and _ran_.

 **LILY**  
I didn’t know why I was there, but any excuse to go visit my favorite great-aunt was more than enough reason for me to stop by. You didn’t need to ask me twice.

The doorbell hadn’t even finished ringing before Mrs. Basil E opened the door with a wide smile, greeting me with “Lily! What a lovely surprise!”

I let out a little laugh. “I think you knew I was coming, didn’t you? But hello! Is Dash here?”

Now it was her turn to laugh. “No, but something a trifle better might be. Come right in, my dear.” 

Something better? Something better than Dash? Impossible.

I shrugged off my shoes at the door and followed Mrs. Basil E around the corner, only to be greeted by my favorite face holding two mugs of what appeared to be hot chocolate and a bag of candy canes.

“Merry Christmas, Lily.” On the last syllable of my name, his face split open into the biggest smile. I couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t believe he did this. Or why. I was really caught up on why.

“But it’s March! Christmas ended a long time ago.”

“True, but that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate it right now.”

He was wearing a santa hat. Dash! I couldn’t help myself from wondering out loud. “Is that the hat from the--”

“The dare? Yeah. I almost didn’t find it in time,”

He kept the hat. The boy who despised everything Christmas. Our hat, the hat that told him my name. And he was openly wearing it. In March. For me.

I nearly melted on the spot.

“How did you even find candy canes right now?!”

He laughed, then smiled to himself. “I have my ways.”

 **DASH**  
I think I pulled it off. She was happy. She was more jolly than Frosty himself. Watching her drink her favorite hot chocolate, seeing her be wonderstruck simply because of a silly hat...I’d never let anyone know, I’d take it to the grave, but I secretly loved the santa hat. I loved how it brought me Lily. Lily brought my life into full color, into shades I didn’t even know existed. Bringing her this little piece of winter, the start of our relationship, it was the least I could do. It was my best attempt at a thank you. Because regardless of the weather, whenever we’re together, that’s always the season I want to be in. Just being able to pull her into my arms, wherever Lily is, whatever time of year, that’s all I need.

I just hope it carried through. 

**LILY**  
I don’t know how I got so lucky. Out of everyone in the world, I’m so glad Dash was the one who picked up the notebook. Dash, who went out of his way, without even knowing how I was feeling, to remind me that the magic of my favorite season, the magic that gave me him, wasn’t going anywhere. My heart has always been draped in sweet dreams of holly and ribbon, New York City at Christmas, but now he’s in there, too. With me. And there’s no place else I’d rather be.

Mrs. Basil E had secretly turned on some Christmas music, and I kept sneaking glances at Dash in between sips of hot chocolate. He was desperately trying not to sing along. It was beautiful. He was beautiful.

By the time it was finally time for us to leave, all of my previous fears had melted away. As long as we kept making Dash & Lily moments happen, there wasn’t a single doubt in my mind—

We were going to be just fine.

**Author's Note:**

> I did my absolute best to write this in the same style as the books, so hopefully that shined through. I also listened to “Christmas Tree Farm” by Taylor Swift 2834395732 times while writing this, so if you didn’t get the reference from the title or all the times I subtly dropped lyrics, go give it a play right now. This little (long) blurb wouldn’t exist without it. And happy holidays!!


End file.
